SUREROOT PhD Studentship
Project title: Utilisation of new hybrid grasses (Festulolium) to help UK dairy systems respond to
climate change.
Supervisors: Industry (DairyCo): Dr Debbie McConnell
Dr Christina Marley (IBERS) (cvm@aber.ac.uk)
Professor Mike Humphreys (IBERS) (mkh@aber.ac.uk)
Industrial partner: DairyCo
Project description: There is an urgent need to provide livestock producers in the UK with the
correct tools to be able to develop agricultural systems that are sufficiently robust to allow them to
mitigate the impacts of extreme weather conditions which face farmers over the coming years, as a
result of climate change. In 2012, the early-season drought followed by extreme rainfall and flooding
over extensive areas of the UK drove the need for ‘climate smart’ agriculture to address the dual
challenges of climate change and food security (Dungait et al., 2012). For livestock producers, the
impact of these changes in rainfall patterns is two-fold: i) it reduces livestock productivity due to
reduced forage yields and forage quality and ii) it may result in significant long-term damage to
pastures and, more critically, the underlying soil. Protecting the soils on livestock farms in the UK is
critical if farmers are to maintain future productivity and, thus, ensure future sustainability. Through
the use of natural grass breeding methods, IBERS has developed hybrid grasses (Festulolium) that
combine the forage production and quality characters of ryegrasses with the resilience to stress
conditions found in fescue species. Festulolium rooting characters have different impact on soil
structure and hydrology from their parent species, and have the capability to mitigate the effects of
either a deficiency or an excess of rainwater supply (Humphreys et al. 2014). We need to determine
if these grasses can be used within UK dairy systems to maintain viable productivity and provide
protection to soils against the impacts of climate change. We are looking for a talented and
motivated scientist with an interest in ecophysiology, applied to plant and/or soil science combined
with dairy systems, to take on this challenge.
Our objective is to determine optimal ways of incorporating Festulolium into pasture-based dairy
systems. This is a novel area of research as the impacts of Festulolium on soil, forage (e.g. silage) and
the resilience of dairy livestock systems are as yet untested. The key objectives will focus on impacts
within the soil-plant-animal interactions of the ruminant system. The PhD student will join a worldleading team working within the 5-year BBSRC-funded SUREROOT programme, which aims to
improve the development and adoption of new Festulolium varieties within UK agriculture. BBSRC’s
vision is to lead world-class 21st century bioscience, promoting innovation and realising benefits for
society within and beyond the UK. IBERS has unparalleled opportunities for training and research
linking together expertise in plant breeding and livestock systems research, and the fundamental
science underpinning these globally important areas.
This PhD studentship provides an opportunity to gain world-class expertise in both laboratory and
field based research, particularly as they are applied to solving the global challenges facing livestock
farmers in the development of ‘climate smart’ agriculture. The training offers the opportunity to
study grass root growth and the effects of onsets of droughts and flooding using IBERS state-of-theart National Plant Phenomics Centre (NPPC). The student will be offered the opportunity to benefit
from a short placement with DairyCo, the UK levy body for dairy farmers, where they will gain
experience relevant to future employability in applied aspects of dairy livestock systems and end
user requirements.
The fully funded 3-year PhD scholarship pays university postgraduate tuition fees (currently
£3,996pa) and a stipend of £14,057 tax free per year. Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a
minimum of a first or upper-second class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject (e.g.
plant science, agricultural science, soil science). Contact the lead supervisor Dr Christina Marley
(cvm@aber.ac.uk) or the Project Co-ordinator Professor Mike Humphreys (mkh@aber.ac.uk) to
discuss the project, or for general queries IBERS Postgraduate Co-ordinator Michelle Allen
(myd@aber.ac.uk). For information on IBERS see http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/ibers/ and for how to
apply see http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/howtoapply/
Deadline for applications: 26th June 2015
Interviews will be held in the week commencing: 6th July 2015